Civil Beat has asked candidates for the primary election to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following comes from Josh Green, incumbent Democratic candidate for the Office of Governor.

He is facing three Democratic challengers in the Aug. 8 primary election. They are Duke Bourgoin, George Lucas-Tadeo and Lauren Kapoliahi’iaka Shim.

Go to Civil Beat’s 2026 Elections Guide for general information, and check out the other candidates on Civil Beatʻs 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot.

Why are you best suited for the job of governor? And why do you want the job?

I’ve spent my life caring for Hawaiʻi families— first as an ER physician on the Big Island, then as a legislator, lieutenant governor, and governor. As governor, I’ve worked every day to lower the cost of living, build affordable housing and reduce homelessness. I’m running again because that work isn’t finished. Too many of our keiki still can’t afford to stay in the islands they call home. Hawaiʻi deserves trusted, caring leadership that delivers — and that’s exactly what I’ll keep providing.

What are the biggest issues facing the state, and what are the first things you would do to address them in the first six months after being elected?

My focus will stay where it’s been: lowering the cost of living, building affordable housing and reducing homelessness, while we drive down the price of energy. I’ll protect the middle-class tax relief and credits families are already counting on, keep cutting red tape so we build homes faster, expand our kauhale villages to move people off the streets and into dignity, and push hard to lower electricity bills. This is about keeping Hawaiʻi a place where working families can afford to stay.

Here’s a question from one of your constituents: What specific policies do you plan to implement to prevent and crack down on elected officials who abuse their office for personal gain, in order to begin restoring the public’s trust?

Our residents deserve a government that’s transparent, accountable and worthy of their trust. During my first term, I signed a broad package of good-government bills: strengthening lobbyist disclosure, banning prohibited gifts, tightening campaign-spending rules and making official misconduct a crime. I’ll keep backing stronger enforcement and disclosure, protect the independence of our Ethics and Campaign Spending Commissions, and support reforms that limit the influence of money in politics.

With the median home price in Honolulu now above $1 million, what steps would you take to make housing more affordable?

Housing is the heart of our affordability crisis, and the answer is to build. When I took office I declared a housing emergency and used emergency proclamations to remove unnecessary regulations, while continuing to protect the environment. We have accelerated thousands of affordable units, and my administration has tens of thousands more in the development pipeline. My goal is deliberately ambitious. I want to build the affordable homes we need so our children do not have to leave home.

The office of the governor has taken a non-combative stance with the Trump administration over many policy issues. What would be your stance with the federal administration and why?

My job is to protect the people of Hawaiʻi and deliver for them. I will work with anyone, regardless of party, when it helps our families, and I will stand firm whenever our people or values are threatened. I have worked to bring home federal support for Maui’s recovery and pursued major federal investment to modernize our grid and lower energy costs. But when federal actions put our community at risk, I will push back clearly and without hesitation.

Questions have been raised about how the new Hawaiʻi green fee to mitigate climate change is being doled out. Do you share those concerns and how should they be addressed in the future?

I am proud that Hawaiʻi enacted the first climate fee in the nation. A modest charge on visitors, it’s projected to raise about $100 million a year, dedicated solely to climate resilience and disaster mitigation. Those dollars are walled off and cannot be swept into unrelated spending. Expecting accountability for them is exactly right. I will keep working with the Legislature and our advisory team to confirm projects openly, because public confidence depends on getting this right.

What would you do in office to address the here and now of climate change? And how would you address the costs to taxpayers, property owners and businesses to adapt?

Hawaiʻi has a chance to lead the world on climate, but recent disasters have shown that it is no longer a distant threat. In the near term I am focused on reducing wildfire risk, hardening our grid, strengthening our warning and emergency systems, and protecting our shorelines and watersheds. The Green Fee was designed so visitors help carry the burden of resilience rather than placing all of it on residents. Every dollar we invest in preparation saves many more in recovery.

Do you support a temporary transition to liquefied natural gas as Hawaiʻi pursues a goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2045? Is that goal attainable?

Families here pay some of the highest electricity bills in the nation while we still burn imported oil from unreliable sources. That is why I have kept every option on the table to bring costs down and improve reliability, including using LNG as a bridge. It means less oil, lower bills, and fewer emissions than what we burn today, while we aggressively scale up solar, storage and renewables. The destination is 100% renewable. The bridge is simply how we protect families on the way there.

Lawmakers in 2026 largely preserved historic income tax cuts. Will you commit to protecting the tax cuts? Why or why not?

My administration delivered the biggest tax cut for the middle class in Hawaiʻi’s history. On top of it, we doubled the earned income tax credit and the food tax credit and increased the child and dependent care credit, making life more affordable for every family without cutting the services people depend on. My commitment to that relief is firm.

In recent years, Hawai’i has experienced a series of damaging and dangerous weather events that have exposed weaknesses in our planning, preparation and response. How would you position the state to be better prepared for these events?

We are investing in emergency management capacity and disaster mitigation, modernizing our alert systems and hardening our grid and critical infrastructure. The Green Fee gives us a dedicated and stable source of funding for exactly this kind of resilience work. Preparedness has to be a whole government commitment, coordinated with the counties and our federal partners, so that when the next storm or fire comes, we protect lives first. That is the steady leadership our families deserve.

Hawaiʻi has no initiative or referendum process, yet some in the public are frustrated each year when the Legislature kills important legislation without explanation. Is it time for Hawaiʻi to join the 26 states that allow voters to create policy through the ballot? Why or why not?

Hawaiʻi’s residents should have meaningful opportunities to help shape the future of our state. Any conversation about changing how laws are proposed or adopted should involve broad public engagement, careful consideration of the benefits and challenges, and a commitment to strengthening trust in our democratic institutions. I welcome the conversation.

Despite recent progress, there are more people homeless on the streets and in shelters than there were in 2022. What will you do during your term to reduce homelessness and prevent more people from becoming homeless.

We have made the largest investment in reducing homelessness in state history— and our work is getting recognized nationally. It has resulted in huge progress on unsheltered homelessness, a drop of 13% statewide, 20% on Oʻahu, and 91% in Waikīkī. We have opened roughly 26 kauhale villages and have documented dramatic reductions in healthcare costs for the residents. Prevention matters, too. That means rapid re-housing, mental health and addiction support, and building more affordable housing.